#1 Convention Studio in Northern NJ

“Trust The Process” is Jona Biddle’s moniker and can be heard resonating from any class @thejonashow is teaching. Jona Biddle, artistic director and choreographer originally from Atlantic City, NJ has made his mark on NYC conquering his big city dreams with a dance formula for success. Jona’s choreography has been recognized by Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Ciara and The Ellen Show. He has worked with Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Usher, FOX Studios, Interscope Records and countless media and talent agencies. Recognizing to ‘Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required’ , Jona is blazing forward as a social entrepreneur launching a series of successful ventures around B.O.S.S. – Born Original Striving Successfully. Jona’s commercial dance team BOSS Kids (@imabosskidnyc) won title at Monsters A-List Competition April 2019.

Jenna Kulacz, a multi-disciplinary artist originally from Westchester, New York, graduated summa cum laude from Elon University with a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography. As a professional dancer, Jenna has performed with notable companies such as Pilobolus, EMERGE125, Gaspard & Dancers, and Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT as a soloist in Arts Across America: A Live Virtual Performance at the John F. Kennedy Center. She has worked with a variety of New York project-based companies in performances including the Harlem Dance Festival and with AThomasProject at Bryant Park Summer Performing Arts Series. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Jenna has danced works by notable choreographers and companies including Yoshito Sakuraba, Gallim Dance, and NW Dance Project. Most recently, she performed at the Delacorte Theater in the Public Theater's production of 'The Tempest' for "Shakespeare in the Park". She thoroughly enjoys teaching and choreographing and is particularly skilled at nurturing younger dancers. She is currently a company member with EMERGE125, a dance educator and choreographer at Westchester Dance Academy, an assistant for New York City Dance Alliance, and a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer.

Dabria’s most recent performance was with Ballet Collective in “The Night Falls” as Angela the Athlete under the direction of Troy Schumacher. She has performed on many shows including The Charleston Christmas Special and Let The Good Times Roll by Moranz Entertainment, American Tapestry with Ballet Evolution, The Ellen Show, and Righteous Gemstones. With 15 years of training, she has had the pleasure of attending and learning from many world-renowned choreographers and prestigious programs such as: Aria, Ballet +, Boston Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Complexions, and Juilliard.

Nick Anthony is an American artist, entrepreneur, and educator most well known as a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher, and actor. He has worked as a project manager for Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Kyle Robinson, and Teddy Forance's dance company "Shaping Sound" and he has also served as the Executive Director for the Generation IV Dance summer workshop based out of MA. He currently has several of his own entertainment projects in development as well. When not working as a self-made entrepreneur on these projects, Nick continues to stay busy as a resident teacher at Liv' Art Studios and Relevé Studios in Los Angeles and is a frequent sub at Independence Dance Company and the world renowned Millennium Dance Complex.

Michael Crawford began dancing with prestigious schools, including the Maryland Youth Ballet and Kirov Academy, with summer intensives at The Rock School and San Francisco Ballet on full scholarships. He danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jose Mateo Ballet, Ballet Memphis, American Repertory Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, and Oakland Ballet. At these companies, he performed several ballets as a principal artist. He has been privileged to work alongside top productions, such as “Guys and Dolls," "West Side Story," "Show Boat," and other musical performances at The Kennedy Center, as well as touring many other international stages. He has also worked as a principal guesting with The Washington National Opera, Adam Miller Dance Project, Kinetic Dance Works, and Brooklyn Ballet.

Cara Eichin is originally from Merritt Island, Florida where she began dancing at two-years-old. Cara attended college at Florida State University where she received a BFA in Dance and a BS in Communications/Media Studies. Her training includes San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, Orlando Ballet School, and she was on scholarship at the Joffrey Trainee Program. Since college Cara has performed as Lisa and in the ensemble of Mamma Mia! She has also choreographed productions of Elf the Musical and Hello, Dolly! Cara currently lives in New York where she has continued her training alongside teaching and choreographing for pre professional students.

Vanessa Figueroa was born and raised in Little Falls, NJ, where she trained seriously in dance at a young age. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a minor in Public Relations and Advertising at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA in April 2019. Her training and explorations have allowed her to perform in works created by Jennifer Archibald, Tyce Diorio, Christopher Huggins, Jason McDole, Kiesha Lalama, Garfield Lemonius and more. She is also proud to be the former President of "Impulse", the hip-hop club at Point Park University, where she cultivated a safe space for dancers to freely express themselves through Hip-Hop and Jazz funk forms. Vanessa is honored to have experienced opportunities such as performing “Kinex”choreographed by Kiesha Lalama at the Joyce Theatre for the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation in 2018.

COMING SOON!!!

Allen Genkin is a professional ballroom dancer and choreographer. He started his dance career at the age of 12 competing in many competitions in the USA and internationally. He was ranked in the top of the USA and top 100 in the world in his age group at the time. When he turned 20, life changed for him, and took a turn into the entertainment industry of dancing. He appeared on the Tv shows like Dancing with the stars, So you think you can dance, and most recently on Mira quin Bailer. He currently teaches and choreographes at many different dance conventions in the USA. He also choreographed dances for celebrity singers in Mexico. He loves dancing and sharing his love with so many talented artists and students all over the world!! He always says do what you love and do it with all your efforts, results will eventually come!!

Megan Gessner was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She trained as a competitive dancer in tap dance, jazz, contemporary, ballet, and hip hop at San Diego Dance Center, Just Plain Dancin’, and Danceology, before joining contemporary-fusion company Unity Dance Ensemble. While completing her degree in computer science at Brown University, she was a member of Fusion Dance Company and a director of Impulse Dance Company, choreographing for and performing in annual shows for both, as well as an alto saxophonist in the Brown Jazz Band and a student of music theory. She has performed at the Joyce Theater in Savion Glover’s “Lady5 at the Baroque Blak Tap Cafe”, on the Henry J Leir Outdoor Stage at Jacob’s Pillow with the School’s tap dance ensemble, and in the upcoming movie The Bride (2025) with choreography by Michelle Dorrance, Or Schraiber, and Bobbi Jene Smith. She is indebted to her many incredible teachers and mentors, including Megan McBride Moore, Lynn-Rae Hiers, Tarua Hall, Dana Foglia, Boy Boi, Sydney Skybetter, Derick K. Grant, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Michelle Dorrance, Christina Carminucci, among many others. She’s excited for the opportunity to teach at IDA this summer!

Kristen was immersed in a world of dance and theatre from a very young age. Kristen continued her education at Syracuse University as a Musical Theater major and while still attending college she began her 16 year career on Broadway when she was cast in the original company of FOOTLOOSE as a featured dancer and understudying the role of Wendy-Jo. It was during this time that she started assisting and working under Ray Leeper on off-Broadway shows, music videos and film workshops, as well as, master classes around the country. Kristen recently completed a 10 year run as an Original Cast Member of WICKED the Musical where she had the opportunity to be Dance Captain, play the role of the Witch's Mother, and was Associate Choreographer to Wayne Cilento for the 1st National Tour which is still on the road. Through this time she continued her commercial and voice over career, has performed on The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Tony Awards.

Madison Hicks, originally from Dallas, TX, graduated from Booker T. Washington HSPVA in 2014. She received her BFA from The Juilliard School in May 2018 and her MFA in Choreography in 2021 from California Institute of the Arts. Madison is a freelance creator, performer, and educator. In 2022, she received the Orsolina28 "Call for Creation" residency for her project, "Corrupt(ed)". Madison was one of eight choreographers chosen for The Jacobs Pillow Ann and Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellowship in 2021. She is a company artist with Sidra Bell Dance New York. She is the Director and Founder of Moving Forward Dallas, an innovative dance intensive and Non-Profit Organization for young artists. She is the Resident Choreographer for New York Dance Project and has been commissioned by companies such as Viticca Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Avant Chamber Ballet, Mash-Up Contemporary Dance company, Ballet Project OC, Orange County School of the Performing and Visual Arts, Water Street Dance Milwaukee, and Lindenwood University to create new work.

Kensie Keele was raised in Clayton, North Carolina and started dancing at the young age of four. She trained and competed at Prestige Dance Institute for 8 years and started teaching and choreographing at 16 years old all around North Carolina and surrounding states. After high school, Kensie went to the Inaugural year of Teddy Forance’s CLI Conservatory, where she trained under names such as Robert Green, Tyce D’orio, Mike Keefe, Al Blackstone, Brian Nicholson, JA Collective and more. At CLI, she was able to be a part of music videos such as “Dance. Dance? Dance!” Directed and choreographed by The Seaweed Sisters and “I’m So Blessed Your Mine” choreographed by Monika Felice Smith. She also danced, sang and acted in Al Blackstone’s and Billy Griffin’s original musical “A Good Day.”

Originally from Kharkov , Ukraine , Kateryna Klishyna has enjoyed dancing ever since she was a child . At age of 8 , Kateryna’s parents took her to her first ballroom classes , and her passion for dance was kindled. With a strong desire to excel and be the best she can be , Kateryna has amassed an impressive catalogue of titles , including Ukrainian National Champion, IDSA World Open Champion , Blackpool Quarter Finalist , 3rd Austrian Open Champion. Finalist of German Open And Dutch Open Championships. Klishyna’s television credits include being a 3rd Super-Finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance , Ukraine “ . And Professional Dancer on “ Dancing With The Stars , Georgia”. Performed on famous stages of Sydney Opera House , Melbourne Art Center and Emmy’s Event at Television Academy

Jess LeProtto is a New Jersey native and Broadway performer, who holds a B.F.A. Musical Theater at Pace University. Broadway credits include: Carousel, Hello, Dolly!, Cats (Mungojerrie), On The Town, Newsies (OBC), Bye Bye Birdie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and The Boy From Oz. National Tours/Regional Theater include: Hello, Dolly! (Barnaby Tucker), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Grand Ole Opry), American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (Joyce Theater), A Bronx Tale (Papermill Playhouse), In Your Arms (Old Globe Theater), Freddie Falls in Love (Signature Theater). Film/Television credits include: West Side Story (directed by Steven Spielberg), So You Think You Can Dance (Season 8, Top 8), Smash, Law & Order: SVU, One Life to Live, and the MTV VMAs.

Nancy Lushington graduated with departmental honors in dance from Adelphi University. She danced as a soloist with the May O'Donnell Concert Dance Company for over 15 years. She has performed professionally with the Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Theater Dance Collection, The Asolo Opera, and Verlezza Dance, as well as in Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" at the Kennedy Center. She is one of the few dancers who set Ms. O’Donnell’s works both in the US and abroad. She has served on the faculty at Adelphi University, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and The New York School for Film and Television, Stephens College and was the Artistic Director of the Dance In Education Fund, Inc for 19 years. She is currently Assistant Professor of Dance at Marymount Manhattan College, and Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the O'Donnell Green Foundation for Music and Dance.

COMING SOON!!!

COMING SOON!!!

Skylar Rienert began her dance education at the New Hampshire School of Ballet. She pursued her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance for 2 years at SUNY Purchase and finished her degree at Montclair State University. Miss Rienert has been teaching dance for 6 years. She has choreographed numerous pieces for NH, MA, and NY studios, as well as Montclair State University. She is co-owner of Inception Dance Intensive. Skylar has won several choreography and performance awards, and continues to work as an artist throughout New England, New Jersey, and New York.

Jamie Salmon received her professional ballet training as a youth with Dana Kennedy, Melissa Hayden and Paul Meija. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts for Jr. high and high school. Further training was received at the School of American Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet school, where she became a member of the Joffrey Concert Group performing lead roles in classics and new works.Jamie has also worked with Kirk Peterson and Louis Falco as well as dancing in commercials, tv, film and print work. Jamie began her teaching career at the Joffrey Ballet school as ballet mistress for the Concert Group and teaching at the Joffrey school. She is well known on the Dance Convention circuit teaching for Danny Hoctor’s Dance Caravan, Professional Dance Teacher’s Association Dance Masters and as a judge for the Stars of Tomorrow Dance Competition. Jamie has been training dancers of all ages for over 20 years. Her students can be seen on Broadway, television, in classical and contemporary companies as well as attending the finest ballet schools and college dance programs in America.

Jason Samuels Smith is an established leader for Tap with accolades as Choreographer, Performer and Humanitarian. He received an Emmy, Dance Magazine Award, and American Choreography Award as well as grants/residencies supporting the development of new work. Choreography and film credits include Black Nativity (associate tap choreographer/security guard #1); Hit Series Psych; CBS’s Secret Talents of the Stars (MYA); So You Think You Can Dance; Dancing with The Stars; UPAJ:Improvise; Dean Hargrove’s Tap World and Tap Heat, Outkast’s Idlewild; Debbie Allen’s Cool Women.